SERIE A MATCH REPORT

Marco Borriello struck twice to give Genoa their first home win since August 29 on the day their new signings were introduced.

This was a relegation dogfight and Gigi Del Neri’s side were particularly desperate in penultimate place. Ciro Immobile had hospital tests for head trauma after accidentally hitting his head during training on Saturday, though he was able to start, while Cristobal Jorquera, DamianoFerronetti, CesareBovo and BoskoJankovic were injured with Andrea Bertolacci banned. New buys Eros Pisano and FrancelinoMatuzalem were thrown straight into the starting XI. Visitors Bologna missed Henry Gimenez, ManoloGabbiadini, CesareNatali and the banned Diego Perez, while Alessandro Diamanti was only fit for the bench.

Alberto Gilardino’s snapshot was straight at Sebastien Frey and there were penalty appeals for a Rene Krhin challenge on Immobile.

Federico Agliardi flew to parry a fierce Immobile strike from the right side of the box and Frey survived a shaky Andreas Granqvistbackpass. PanagiotisKone went off with an injury.

DanielePortanova’s volley was charged down and desperately cleared in a chaotic move, but Genoa broke the deadlock on 57 minutes.

Marco Borriello completed a wonderful give-and-go with Immobile, including impressive feint from the Under-21 international, to tear the Bologna defence in two.

Borriello added a second to put the result under lock and key, running on to a ricochet and smashing a low right-foot drive from the edge of the box.

Antonio Floro Flores was also given his Genoa debut just days after arriving from Udinese.

Bologna’s afternoon got worse when TiberioGuarente received a second yellow card in stoppages.